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IHG Hotels & Resorts’ premium brand voco opened its first hotel in Thailand earlier this year, nestled in Bangkok’s Surawong neighborhood. It’s perfectly positioned where Silom, Sathorn and Siam meet — within easy walking distance of Central Park shopping and the city’s lively night markets.
I visited just before Songkran, Thailand’s biggest festival, and loved how the hotel reimagines traditional Thai art in a contemporary way. The stairwell is lined with tung flags from Northern Thailand, and one of voco’s signature finch sculptures was playfully topped with a handcrafted hat.
The lobby is modern and welcoming, with plenty of seating and tables where you can sit, work or linger over a drink. Pops of yellow throughout the space bring a cheerful, distinctive energy to the design.
At check-in guests are greeted with a welcome treat inspired by mango sticky rice — a cookie topped with dried mango and a coconut drizzle. It’s sweet, a little chewy and delightfully crunchy.
The hotel’s mascots — the finch, an owl and a flamingo — appear throughout the property, adding whimsy to the design. There’s also an ATM in the lobby, which is handy if you didn’t exchange cash before heading out to a massage or the night market.
Rooms come in three main categories: Deluxe, Grand and Suite. I recommend booking a Grand room or higher — Grand rooms include bathtubs and significantly more space. The layout separates the bed area from a living space with a large sofa and table, and the bathroom divides the sink area and tub behind a door. Reflecting voco’s sustainability focus, the mattresses are made from the equivalent of 150 recycled plastic bottles, and Antipodes organic amenities are provided.
The hotel supplies yellow bathrobes to match its signature color and offers coffee capsules from Sanis, a trendy café known for transforming old buildings in Bangkok’s Old Town. It’s a small, thoughtful touch that ties into the hotel’s story of modernizing heritage.
Suites feature a separate living room with a sofa, table and TV, apart from the bedroom. The shower and tub are separated, which enhances the sense of space and comfort.
The hotel’s most Instagrammable spot is the outdoor pool area. The voco logo anchors one side, yellow towels sit on the lounge chairs, and the water looks refreshingly clear. While it isn’t a high-rise infinity pool, the surrounding trees make it feel private and serene — perfect for relaxing and snapping photos.
A compact fitness center sits just beside the pool. It’s small but well-equipped for cardio, strength training and yoga, and towels and bottled water are provided on-site.
Breakfast is served at Decle’s Smokehouse, which offers both indoor and outdoor seating so you can dine overlooking the pool and greenery. The breakfast spread is generous and thoughtfully presented.
The breakfast buffet is divided into hot and cold stations and is quite generous. The cold “gold” section features salads, fruit, bread, salami and cheeses. The hot station offers a rice noodle soup station, an egg station, curries, a Japanese corner with miso soup, a Thai corner, and Western favorites like potatoes and bacon. Eggs can also be ordered made-to-order.
I recommend trying the rice noodle soup and the daily fruit smoothies. You can choose from three noodle types and pick a base like pork or chicken, and add cilantro or other garnishes to taste. If you’re sensitive to strong herbs, a chicken base with fish balls is a clean, comforting option.
Decle’s Smokehouse is an all-day dining restaurant that serves lunch and dinner in addition to breakfast. It’s an ideal spot for casual American-style steaks and seafood. Crowd-pleasing dishes include Cobb salad, mac and cheese, BBQ chicken wings and smoked beef steak.
I also recommend Tasca Savio, a Spanish-inspired restaurant and bar where Mediterranean-style dishes and sangria set the mood. Open for lunch and dinner, it offers Spanish tapas alongside a thoughtful drinks list that includes nonalcoholic options.
You’ll find Spanish-inspired dishes like chorizo, octopus, paella and cinnamon churros on the menu. Because the restaurant operates independently from IHG Hotels & Resorts, meals can’t be charged to the room and hotel vouchers aren’t accepted, but IHG One Rewards members receive a 20% discount on food and nonalcoholic drinks.
Nearby conveniences — shopping malls, parks and local massage shops — are all within walking distance. While the hotel doesn’t have an on-site spa, a row of affordable massage shops sits right across the street, which I found very convenient during my stay. The rooftop garden at Central Park is lovely at night, and the nearest large mall is Silom Edge Mall.
voco Bangkok Surawong feels like a fresh, casual alternative to traditional five-star luxury hotels. Its playful details stand out, the restaurants offer good flavors at fair prices, and the location makes exploring nearby sights easy. If you’re after a warm, convenient hotel with strong value, this is a great pick. Just note the ceilings are relatively low, so you won’t find a rooftop bar or a high-rise infinity pool here.
80 Surawong Rd, Khwaeng Si Phraya, Khet Bang Rak, Krung Thep Maha Nakhon 10500 Thailand
Bangkok, Thailand — Ye-shin Kang, Travel+ reporter
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